NCJ Number
223675
Journal
Journal of Emotional Abuse Volume: 8 Issue: 1/2 Dated: 2008 Pages: 205-216
Date Published
2008
Length
12 pages
Annotation
This article identifies and discusses 10 lessons learned from an evaluation of home visitation programs in Alaska that have addressed intimate partner violence (IPV).
Abstract
One lesson is that home visitors must have ongoing opportunities for skill-based training that addresses situations that are likely to occur in the context of home visitation. Second, approaches such as promoting healthy relationships and positive roles for men should be part of home visitors' resources for addressing IPV in families. Third, defining success for assessment and intervention for IPV within the context of home visitation should be a key component of skill-based training. Fourth, IPV assessment tools that were developed for clinical settings may not be appropriate for home visits. Fifth, home visitors need screening protocols for IPV that address circumstances and barriers linked with screening in the home settings. Sixth, developing partnerships between home visitors and IPV advocates/agencies can facilitate referrals and intervention with families that are experiencing IPV. Seventh, IPV advocates/agencies can be an ongoing resource for IPV training and case consultation for home visitors. Eighth, home visitation protocols should be expanded in order to explicitly address safety concerns associated with IPV. Ninth, resources and strategies are needed to address and prevent burnout and vicarious trauma associated with addressing IPV. Tenth, workplace safety protocols should incorporate policies on IPV in the workplace. These lessons were derived from an in-depth evaluation of Healthy Families Alaska (HFAK), which featured home-visitation services to families at risk for child maltreatment. Although 49 percent of mothers in the HFAK disclosed physical IPV at the time of the baseline assessment, the majority of home visitors did not address IPV with home visited families over the 5-year evaluation period. 14 references